Recently, we, along with help from our friends at Outdoor Voices, hosted Nurses First: The Wellness Series, a week-long virtual event series that focused on supporting nurses in all areas of wellness.
We had such a great time and learned so much that we wanted to make some of the week’s events accessible to all through our blog.
Nutrition and nourishment are two critical elements of nurse wellness. So, we teamed up with Joy Bauer, nutrition expert for NBC's Today show, to learn how to meal prep in style and keep ourselves energized, even during the longest 12-hour shifts.
Joy led us through a power-packed snack demo and opened the floor for live nutrition Q&A. You watch the full event session below!
If you just want to cut to some of the recipes, you can find them below! Joy shared so many delicious, power-packed recipes that we know are going to help fuel you through the toughest of shifts.
Joy’s Top 5 Power Snacks for Nurses on the Go
1. DIY Trail Mix
“This is a great on-the-run breakfast or snack for hectic mornings. Try different combinations of cereal, nuts, and dried fruit each time you make this to keep things interesting. Feel free to double and triple the recipe so you’re always prepared for snack time.”
2. Flavored Popcorn
“Mediterranean-inspired munchie featuring light and fiber-rich popcorn. Add a touch of Parmesan cheese (yum) and healthy rosemary and you have a nutritious and satisfying snack that’s perfect for movie-watching or desk-side nibbling. Enjoy!”
3. Rosemary Spiced Walnuts
“Five ingredients–including salt and pepper—is all it takes to create a savory snack that’s loaded with delicious crunch and plant-based omega-3 fats. In fact, walnuts are the only nut that provides these heart-healthy fats in significant amounts.”
4. Chocolate-Peanut Butter Energy Bites
“These energy bites hit the trifecta—they’re quick to make, delish to eat and bursting with wholesome ingredients to put pep in your step and a smile on your face. Not to mention, the no-bake instruction allows you to recruit the kids to help with prep, which makes it a fun family affair.”
5. Chocolate Chip-Stuffed Raspberries
“You can enjoy 7 of these rich, candy-like berries for just 25 calories. At that number, you can feel free to go back for seconds (and even thirds!). They’re great as a stand-alone dessert or snack or you can use them to garnish ice cream, cupcakes, or even fruit salad. Who wouldn’t be delighted to scoop one of these up?”
6 More of Joy’s Recipes to Try
1. Jumbo Oatmeal Pancake
“Pancakes are a real crowd-pleaser and they’re quick to whip up. This version features ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, requires only a simple toss and mix, and tastes incredibly yummy.”
2. Taco-roni and Cheese
“This yummy combo came about when I tried to satisfy the demands of my family; half was craving mac and cheese, and the other half was requesting tacos. The culinary collision is pure heaven—you’ll seriously want to jump into the pot.”
3. General Joy’s Chicken
“Craving Chinese? You could order General Tso’s Chicken—battered and fried chicken drowning in a sweet and sour sauce for about 1,000 calories and nearly a day’s worth of sodium. Or you could whip up my slim-style version and dig in without any regret or guilt.”
4. Tarragon Chicken Salad
“This recipe is a sophisticated spin on traditional chicken salad. It comes together quickly and uses unique (and nutrient-rich) ingredients to add extra flavor, crunch, sweetness, and pizzazz.”
5. Watermelon Margarita
“Margaritas are one of my all-time favorite cocktails. I whip up a watermelon version in the summer that’s a total hit in the Bauer house (I cannot make them fast enough!). You can also skip the alcohol for a yummy lycopene-rich mocktail.”
6. Blackberry Margarita
“I put a new spin on this classic cocktail by incorporating fresh blackberries to provide natural sweetness while simultaneously upping the nutrition ante.”
So, once again, a big thank you to Joy! And nurses, seriously try out some of these recipes—you won't regret it!
Ready for More Nursing Events?
We’re always in the process of building out our event calendar to add more virtual events for nurses, so stay in touch with us to hear about those upcoming events!
